Buckle.



' Patented Oct. 7, I902.

P.- E. WIBERG.

BUCKLE.

(Application filed Sept. 26, 1901.)

(No Model.)

nven kvr' attorneywitnesses: (Q11:u

UNrrnn STATES PATENT @FFICE.

PETER E. \VIBERG, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEV JERSEY.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,641, dated October 7, 1902.

Application filed September 26, 1901. Serial No. 76,637. (No model.)

To all wiwno it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, PETER E. \VIBERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to buckles, and has more especially reference to trousers or vest buckles, but may also be embodied in buckles of other descriptions.

I shall describe a buckle embodying my invention and afterward point out the novel features in the claims.

In the drawings 1 have shown my invention embodied in a device of a convenient structure; but changes may of course be made within the scope of the claims.

Figure 1 is a general view of a buckle embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line am; of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the buckleholding a piece of heavy material.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

The buckle is composed of two members, a frame A, in this instance represented as being rectangular-shaped, and the grip l3,swinging on the conic pivots l) in the frame. One of the two membersin this instance the grip Bfurther has a swelling b one on each side, to give a slight friction or strain internally on the frame A. To prevent the grip from passing beyond the proper point of alinement with the frame when closed, two lugs or projections bi preferably located on the grip, are provided.

The means for holding the cloth or material in buckles usually consists of a number of sharp prongs carried by the grip adapted to pierce the said material and rest with their free ends on a straight lip or edge running longitudinally of the frame of the buckle. This construction is objectionable in many respects, especially in the fact that persons frequently lacerate their fingers when operating the same, and has further the disadvantage that the material is pierced or perforated by the said prongs, thus wearing it out very quickly, and thereby preventing the proper tension being put on the'material. Some buckles also have staggered prongs located on opposite edges to hold the material; but this construction has a tendency to wrinkle the said material if it be heavy and not to hold it properly if it be thin. These disadvantages I overcome completely by my invention.

As shown in the drawings, the grip 13 carries a number of prongs b and the frame A a corresponding number of similarly-formed prongs a, located on the edge opposite to the prongs of the grip and arranged so that the prongs of the two members are located at opposite points and in alinement with each other. These oppositely in line located prongs are made blunt, so as not to pierce, but rather hold, the material D in between them and must not overlap each other.

Turning now to Fig. 3, it will be observed that the material D when inserted will be held straight and merely pinched or gripped by the oppositely-in-line-located prongs from both sides at the same points, and thus held firmly instead of being pierced or wrinkled. If the material is very thin, the grip can be brought up to the position shown in Fig. 1, so that the prongs a and b will be so close as to hold even the thinnest material on account of its being pinched from two sides at the same points. If the material is heavy, the grip can be moved up slowly until sufficient tension is produced, the excess of material being squeezed out into the spaces Ointermediate the prongs. By this means the capacity for holding different thicknesses of material is practically unlimited.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A buckle comprising a frame and a grip, the latter pivoted in the frame, having an equal number of prongs on the frame and grip located opposite to and in alinement with each other which do not overlap when the grip is moved into its closed position.

2. A buckle comprising a frame and a'grip, the latter pivoted in the frame, a seriesof prongs, for holding a piece of material, on both the frame and the grip, located opposite to and in alinement with each other and which do not overlap when the grip is in its closed position, spaces formed intermediate the prongs for the accommodation of an excess of material,and means for moving the grip gradeach other when the grip is closed but which do not overlap, means for preventing the grip from passing beyond the center of theframe, and means for gradually closing the grip under tension.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 18th day 20 01": September, A. D. 1901.

PETER E. WIBERG.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM R. DORMAN, AXEL V. BEEKEN. 

